By DOUG WILSON
Herald-Whig Senior Writer
A zoning change request to allow an apartment complex at 2801 Harrison got a thumbs down from the Quincy Plan Commission on Tuesday night. Trevor Beck was seeking neighborhood residential zoning for the 1.17-acre square lot. He planned to build one six-unit apartment and two four-unit apartment buildings. The brick structures were envisioned as having 1,104 square feet of space each, including a garage. Beck told a number of neighbors who spoke in opposition to the plan that he wanted a quality operation and would not have been supported by government programs. "This is an investment for me, and I take pride in what I do. I do not want a fly-by-night operation," Beck said. Neighbors were not convinced. Several worried about the loss of privacy on their own properties if multiple living units went up. Other concerns involved noise, traffic and parking congestion, water runoff and property values. "The value of those houses out there is based on the neighborhood ... and this would disrupt the neighborhood," said Don Heck of 1528 South 28th. "All you need is one bad tenant." Commission members said they had respect for Beck's work as a landlord for six units elsewhere in Quincy and construction on property he has been sold. In the end, they voted to concur with a staff recommendation that the request be denied. Much of that recommendation hinged on the City Comprehensive Plan and the Future Land Use Map, which calls for continued single family residential uses along Harrison Street. The Quincy City Council will make a final ruling on the zoning request. In other action the commission: º Endorsed Blessing Hospital's request to vacate an alley running east-west between Ninth and 10th streets located between Elm and College Avenue. Properties contiguous to the alley are owned by the hospital and 10th Street between Elm Street and Broadway was vacated for hospital use last year. º Endorsed a special permit for Marvin and Delores Mast for property at 1865-67 Vermont. The house was built as a duplex and has been operated in that fashion for at least 40 years. It had never been registered as a non-conforming, multi-family structure by previous owners. -- dwilson@whig.com/221-3372
